A couple from Morebattle are appealing for help to save St Aidan’s Church in the village.
Richard Pedersen, a retired Minister from Australia and Margaret, recently ordained in the Scottish Episcopal Church are in the process of restoring the 19th century church in Morebattle.
The couple purchased the church in 2010 and want to establish a café, craft centre and chapel for visitors and the local community. St Aidan’s was built in 1866 and last hosted a service in 1962 after which the B-listed building was used as a bus depot and a haulier’s yard. It is located close to St Cuthbert’s Way, a 62 mile pilgrimage route linking Melrose with Holy Island, off the Northumberland Coast.
Richard has done much of the work himself, including two and a half years spent fixing the roof, replacing the windows and digging out the floor. The porch to the church has been restored and is currently open as one of the UK’s smallest cafes. The main building is being pointed with a suspended ceiling put in place over the portion of the church to be used initially.
Once restored, the rest of the building will provide space for a larger café, a craft centre to showcase local arts and crafts and a chapel for worship and prayer.
Despite being established as a Community Interest Company, because the church is owned privately, there are limited funding opportunities available. The couple are now appealing for any willing local tradesmen to help complete the work. They have also set up a crowd-funder page and established the church as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company. They estimate that they need to raise £70,000 for the restoration of the church.
John Lamont MP said: “I was delighted to pay a visit to St Aidan’s in Morebattle and I was amazed with the work which Richard and Margaret have carried out.
“Once it’s fully restored, this will be a fantastic facility which has the potential to bring in lots of visitors and prove popular with walkers on the St Cuthbert’s Way.
“However, in order to get it up and running, Richard and Margaret need some practical help. It would be great for any local tradespeople who want to see St Aidan’s restored to get involved. People can also donate money via the church’s GoFundMe page.”
Rev Margaret Pedersen said: “Our heart’s desire is to restore this beautiful old church building to its former glory and purpose.
“Thomas Pilkington built this church for the community to use, and we intend for it to be returned to the community in a way that will benefit as many people as possible.
“St Cuthbert was a Celtic Saint whose love for the locals and the travellers meant that he became guest-master at Ripon Priory. In his memory we hope to serve both the local community and those who are visiting the area.
“We are situated right on the St Cuthbert’s Way Walk which gives us a unique opportunity to offer hospitality to the walkers, and to be available to them with prayer and encouragement for their journey.”
The Go Fund Me page can be found here:
https://www.gofundme.com/StCuthbert-s-Coffee-Stop
Any offers of help can be made through the St Aidan's Church Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/st.cuthberts.coffee.stop.cic/
or via John Lamont's office 01450 375 948
A Craft Fair, to raise money for the restoration of the church will take place on 4th November in Morebattle Village Hall and the Templehall Hotel. Further details here